IMPACT VISION VALUES OUR PURPOSE We Connect Our Community Through Culture
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IMPACT VISION VALUES OUR PURPOSE We connect our community through culture. We add vibrancy, promote pride of place, create jobs, encourage engagement and regeneration. Image: Aleksandra Warchol OUR WORK The Culture Trust Luton is a vibrant and progressive charitable trust with a focus on arts and culture. Established in 2008, we welcome everyone to engage with our inspiring and animated cultural venues which include museums, theatres, an arts centre, gardens, libraries and creative workspaces. We encourage individuals and groups to enjoy and learn about arts and culture, engage with heritage and use their talents and skills to grow their careers. We actively support and showcase artistic talent, creativity and skill and provide opportunities for everyone to take part in reading, writing, performing, making, creating, experimenting, discussing, collaborating and presenting culture. “Thank you very much for giving me this wonderful opportunity to show my work at the Storefront Gallery and engage with the audiences of Luton. I really appreciate all of your inspiring comments and feedback.” — Yva Jung Artist Image: The Culture Trust OUR OUR PRIORITIES VISION Our vision is to be an award winning cultural trust providing exemplary public engagement with arts and culture. Our strategic aim is to be financially sustainable by 2025 by generating over 50% of our income through our activity, facilities and trading. 1 WIDENING REACH We encourage more people, particularly from our diverse community, to enjoy and learn about arts and culture, engage with heritage and use their talents and interests to make a difference. 2 TALENT DEVELOPMENT We provide support for emerging artists and creative practitioners through creative workspaces, bursaries, residencies and partnerships that promote and showcase talent at all stages. 3 SUSTAINABILITY We use our resources effectively and we demonstrate the value and impact of our charitable work. We manage sustained reduction in the environmental impact of our organisation, our activities, processes and systems. Image: The Culture Trust OUR BRAND After 11 successful years as an independent Cultural Trust, we are proud to launch our new iconic brand inspired by Luton’s manufacturing and hatmaking heritage, architectural gems and the bringing together of our diverse community through culture. The keystones in our new logo form the letter C – for Culture – and represent the different functions of our organisation coming together as a collection under one Trust. The Culture Trust's collection of venues. Images: The Culture Trust OUR OUR REACH FUNDING Every year we welcome over 900,000 visitors “Creative industries contribute significantly to making our to our free of charge venues across Luton. towns vibrant and interesting places in which to live and work. Luton is already recognised as a national hotspot Count by The map below highlights where our for creating jobs in this sector. So, it’s important that we postal district local and regional audience come from – support the Culture Trust in continuing to enhance good 1 – 298 spreading across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire quality spaces through cultural activation and to nurture 299 – 1127 and Buckinghamshire. The darker areas of local talented people through developments like their 1128 – 2071 2072 – 4375 pink show where we have a higher density transformational Hat District.” 7376 – 11478 of users and repeat visits. — Hilary Chipping Chief Executive, SEMLEP We’re very grateful to all our funders Image: Experian Ltd. for supporting and enabling our work. Regular funding from Luton Borough Biggleswade Wilstead Council, London Luton Airport Ltd. and Marston Arts Council England is the cornerstone to Moretaine our success. This funding underpins our Brogborough ability to provide free venues, manage and Clophill Henlow Odsey care for our collections and heritage, provide Ridgmont Arlesey Silsoe library services and widen engagement with Caldecotte Flitwick free and subsidised cultural activity. Baldock Barton-le-Clay We actively fundraise to deliver new and exciting work, grow cultural resources and Hitchin invest in skills and talent. Thank you to our Hockliffe Leighton Charlton project funders: Buzzard Stevenage Wing • South East Midlands Local Enterprise Dunstable Partnership (Local Growth Fund) Luton Knebworth • Arts Council England • National Lottery Heritage Fund Watton at Stone • Historic England Welvyn • Architectural Heritage Fund • DCMS Wolfson Welwyn Aston Clinton Garden City Halton Wigginton Hatfield Hemel Bourne End Hempstead St Albans Welham Green Our PRIDE values define who we are and what we do Passionate Relevant Inspiring Distinctive Ethical PASSIONATE We do this by animating and making publicly accessible the following cultural venues: WARDOWN HOUSE MUSEUM & GALLERY An eclectic and changing collection of curiosities, Luton objects, country house items, Royal regiment and the most complete hat collection in the UK. Images: The Culture Trust LIBRARIES STOCKWOOD DISCOVERY CENTRE Welcoming and well resourced with over Beautiful walled gardens, courtyard, café , 200,000 books and over 35,000 e-books across woodland and museum which includes the Luton Central Library, Marsh Farm, Bury Park, Mossman Carriage Collection which is the Lewsey, Leagrave and Stopsley. largest in Europe! LUTON LIBRARY THEATRE THE HAT FACTORY ARTS CENTRE Popular with families and schools, this 238 Newly refurbished in 2019, this well loved arts seat theatre hosts over 70 events each year venue offers a diverse programme of live including touring productions, family theatre, music, theatre, film and arts workshops lit up comedy, music and spoken word. by familiar landmark ‘Beacon’ by Mark Titchner. WELL & WISE HAT HOUSE & HATWORKS Provides a neutral environment for health 2 former hat factories are being renovated to organisations to offer advice for a wide provide creative workspace for emerging and range of physical and mental health issues established creative entrepreneurs whilst in central library. regenerating heritage. MUSEUMS COLLECTION STORE STOREFRONT GALLERY Where we conserve and care for over A new project space to showcase local and 2 million artefacts with our specialist team international contemporary artists, offer talks and who also promote and share the collection lectures and community engagement projects. locally, nationally and internationally. WE ENCOURAGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO HAVE A LOVE OF READING RELEVANT In 2018, our Libraries’ Summer Reading Challenge saw 3,058 children taking part, up 8% on 2017 and 353 children joined our We employ 139 people in our team and over libraries to take part in the challenge. 2250 Museum Makers and Library Makers, WE CREATE AFFORDABLE AND volunteers inspired to support our heritage ACCESSIBLE FAMILY ARTS EXPERIENCES sites and projects on a regular basis. Enchanted Stockwood, our new winter light show at Stockwood Discovery Centre, attracted over 5,500 visitors in 11 evenings during December 2018. Our relevancy to our local communities is at the core of our success. We programme events and provide opportunities that our customers “Getting the arts and culture offer right has the ability value and need, playing our part in raising the to transform Luton and most importantly the health profile of Luton and making a difference. and wellbeing of our residents, particularly those most disadvantaged. The Culture Trust is well recognised for its positive role in delivering arts and culture and shares our determination to make Luton a fantastic and vibrant cultural destination enjoyed by residents and visitors and boosting our economy.” — Robin Porter Chief Executive, Luton Borough Council WE’RE PROVIDING PRACTICAL WORKSHOPS TO GROW SKILLS… Over 5,000 people have actively engaged in workshops led by artists in Storefront Gallery. We commission artists to animate Luton and provide commentary about our town. Our Hat District art project engaged 42 artists in producing new work. WE STIMULATE DEBATE Through our programme to raise awareness locally and nationally on relevant subjects such as mental health, identity, gender, social Images: The Culture Trust unrest and equality. INSPIRING We entertain, stimulate and excite our audiences and customers through our cultural activities. Our engagement levels tell us that we’re getting things right and that we are inspiring communities to be active in arts and culture. The numbers speak for themselves… Our team are inspiring specialists and ambassadors for culture who welcome visitors and share their knowledge with all. In 2018 we attracted 200,000 visits to Stockwood Discovery Centre, 90,000 to Wardown House Museum & Gallery, 80,000 to We inspire young people to connect with arts the Hat Factory Arts Centre and 550,000 visits and culture through drama, arts workshops, to our Libraries – that’s 920,000 visits in total! theatre, music, homework clubs and Rhymetime. In 2018 170,000 0–16 year olds and 21,000 17–25 year olds got involved. Our visitor profile shows we are 8.9% attracting a diverse audience 11.4% across our sites in both age range Our libraries are in the top quartile nationally and ethnicity. for e-book loans, highlighting the changing 8.7% 5.2% ways we’re accessing books and information 1.8% Asian/Asian British 11.4% and how we respond to customer needs. 3.4% Black/Black British 5.2% 6.9% Chinese/Chinese British 1.8% We present positive and diverse role models Multiple Heritage 3.4% 4.0% through our programmes. We provide White British 49.7% White Irish 4.0% platforms to showcase